Your heroes

WE all have heroes, whether a striker who scores goals for a football team week in week out a member of the emergency services who saves lives or even a friend or relative or good Samaritans who makes personal sacrifices to help others.

WE all have heroes, whether a striker who scores goals for a football team week in week out a member of the emergency services who saves lives or even a friend or relative or good Samaritans who makes personal sacrifices to help others. This week The Chronicle pays its own tribute to everyday people who this week have made it into the news simply by their acts of kindness to family, friends and strangers... Karl said the gathering was only made possible by massive co-operation from a number of people.

A SIMPLE Internet message prompted an amazing response from owners of modified cars who travelled from all around the country to put on a show for one teenager.

Car clubs put aside their rivalries to put on a display of more than 500 vehicles for former Helsby High School pupil, 17-year-old Robin Small.

Robin has had Ewing's Sarcoma, a form of bone cancer, for about two and a half years. His passion for modified cars inspired friends, relatives and hundreds of strangers to arrange the stunning show.

Karl Rowntree, one of the organisers, explained: 'I know three of Robin's cousins in Birmingham and they told us he was really into cars. They asked us to go up and show him some of the cars.

'I thought it would be nice to show him more than the couple we had so I posted the information on the internet forum MIGWEB.'

From there, the posting was picked up and placed on other sites and word spread within days.

'It was organised in about five or six days - the first day it was only on one forum and from there it escalated and people started posting it on different forums,' said Karl.

'People from all over the country turned up, many travelling in convoys of car clubs - some even drove all the way from France,' he added.

Robin, of Sandfields in Frodsham, is being treated at Alder Hey Hospital. He was given the opportunity to ride in some of his favourite cars.

'I took him out in my car initially because he was quite shy,' said Karl.

'I asked him what car he would like to go in and he said a Clio V6, so we asked the owner and he took him out and he came back with a big smile on his face.'

'It wasn't just me, it was quite a group effort from people across the country.'

Karl added: 'There were probably more than 500 cars -- at one point 20 Lotus Elises pulled in, and then the same number of Subaru Imprezas. A great number of car clubs came together and this was a definite first. Everyone sort of forgot about snobbery and the cars and did it all for the lad.'

At one point the event did not look like it was going to happen.

'To start with we had about 20 cars and the initial plan was to go to a car park near Robin's house. But then it grew to 200 cars and we were going to go to Broughton Retail Park. However, they said if we used the car park we would be hearing from their solicitors and threatened to have our cars impounded.

'In the end one of the lads knew someone at Vauxhall Motors in Ellesmere Port and they came through for us,' said Karl.

Family members and drivers are grateful to Vauxhall for the loan of a car park at such short notice. Robin's day was topped off with a goodie bag from the company, which contained a Vauxhall Rally driver's jacket.

Karl said: 'It restored our faith that there are decent companies out there that would help us.'

Robin's mother Val Small said: 'We want to thank everyone who turned up. Robin enjoyed the day and appreciated the gesture.'

A collection raised &#xA3;400, which will go towards research into Ewing's Sarcoma.